Hey family hope all is well! Thank you for all the pictures you have
been sending! They are awesome it's crazy to see how old you all look
now! Haha -well this week went pretty good! This Sunday in church I had
to give a talk in sacrament meeting, teach the gospel principles
lesson, and teach elders quorum! It was crazy! We did have a good week
though! The assistants went on exchange with us this week and I went contacting with
Elder Klingler. While we were out this block flat caught on
fire! We were standing outside of Mike's flat (a previous investigator that
lived on the top floor), he went on to his balcony and shouted out to us elders
"what's up??".. giving us a thumbs up. But he was
completely unaware of the burning fire below him! The
firefighters ended up having to get a lift to get him down, he was
smiling the whole time! It was pretty funny!
This week I was reading through the life of all the presidents of the
church it was amazing to read and get to know all of them!
They all were so valiant with their testimonies of Jesus Christ!
Something president Lorenzo Snow said really touched my heart:
“If we could read in detail the life of Abraham, or the lives of
other great and holy men, we would doubtless find that their efforts
to be righteous were not always crowned with success. Hence we should
not be discouraged if we should be overcome in a weak moment; but, on
the contrary, straightway repent of the error or the wrong we may have
committed, and as far as possible repair it, and then seek to God for
renewed strength to go on and do better. …
“If the Apostle Peter had become discouraged at his manifest
failure to maintain the position that he had taken to stand by the
Savior under all circumstances, he would have lost all; whereas, by
repenting and persevering he lost nothing but gained all, leaving us
too to profit by his experience. The Latter-day Saints should
cultivate this ambition constantly which was so clearly set forth by
the Apostles in former days. We should try to walk each day so that
our conscience would be void of offense before everybody. … We must
not allow ourselves to be discouraged whenever we discover our
weakness”
I love this so much I love this example he used! If there is anybody I
feel like in this life it is Peter! To be fair after reading the New
Testament I think Peter has become one of my all time favorite! Just
because I feel I can relate to him so much! Peter loved the savior
so much and he tried his earnest to follow him, but fell short time after
time! One of my favorite examples of Peter I laugh at every
time I read is:
Matthew 16;21,24
21 ¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples,
how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised
again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it
far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me,
Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the
things that be of God, but those that be of men.
24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will
come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me.
I love this so much! All Peter wanted to show and tell the Lord is
that he didn't want anyone to hurt him, and he wouldn't let that happen.
But the savior turns around and rebukes him! He probably was like man
I can't do anything right! But that is why I love Peter so much he
stayed humble and stayed by the saviors side and was patient and
in the end he became one of Christ's greatest followers to ever walk
the earth! I love peters example and I pray that I may be just as patient with
myself! I have gained such a testimony that the Lord sanctifies our
afflictions, but I learned we must be patient
and humble enough to let him!
Elder Tuita